William Herlong stands out in a strong Republican field in District 24.
Republicans go to the polls Aug. 16 to nominate their candidate for the seat held for 25 years by David Wilkins, who left the state House of Representatives to become U.S. ambassador to Canada. The four candidates, all lawyers, have identifiable strengths, and an Aug. 30 runoff is likely.
Of the four Republicans, Greenville County school board trustee William Herlong offers voters a known track record as an elected official, proven experience in public service and reasons to believe he could play a leadership role in Columbia. The Greenville News recommends a vote for him in this race that includes Tom Ervin, Warren Mowry and Bruce Bannister.
District 24 is a part of the county known for its strong support of public education and a large degree of political independence. The district has produced two House speakers in the past 30 years, Rex Carter in the 1970s and Wilkins from 1995 to 2005. On Oct. 4, the Republican primary winner will face Democrat Michelle Shain, a Greenville City Council member with an outstanding record of public and community service.
Herlong has represented District 24 on the school board for seven years, and he has been one of the board's leaders. He was the point man on the district's ambitious building plan that is resulting in about 70 new or renovated schools done in five years instead of a couple of decades. He has emphasized teacher quality during his board service, and has supported the idea of bonus or merit pay for high-performing teachers. He wants to continue to push for the merit pay idea on the state level. He also has supported an increase in AP classes, tougher academic standards and long-range, strategic planning.